7 Critical Qs of What Questions to Ask Before Starting a Project

7 Critical Qs of What Questions to Ask Before Starting a Project logo

Knowing what questions to ask before starting a project will increase your productivity and efficiency since 97% of those in the workforce say that a team being on the same page has a notable influence on the success of a project.

Any kind of project a team (even if it is a team of one) undertakes should start with making sure that the team knows the critical information about the project. This is easiest done by having a list of questions that should have answers and making sure to ask questions if the answers are unknown before starting the project. What questions to ask before starting a project are:

  • What Does the Project Need to Do?
  • Who is Going to Directly Use This?
  • Who/What is Indirectly Affected by This?
  • What is the Timeframe/Deadline?
  • What is the Budget?
  • Do We Have Everything We Need to Complete This?
  • Who Is Doing Which Parts of This?

What Questions to Ask Before Starting a Project

What Does the Project Need to Do?

While it may seem obvious, knowing the goals a project needs to accomplish at the start is critical for planning and designing the project. Also, it makes sure that the team and any clients and/or business partners are all on the same page as to what the project is (and is not), what its purpose is, and what problems or issues the project will be solving. This should include:

man explaining to coworkers
  • A summary of what the finished project should look like or do
  • A list of objectives for the project
  • A understanding of who is involved in the project and ways to contact them as necessary

Who is Going to Directly Use This?

Who is the project for? Are they the ones that are going to be using it, or are their clients going to be using it? In other words, teams should be aware of who the primary users of the project and/or its effects are. Knowing who the primary users are will help determine the objectives and design of the project to best accommodate the primary users and their needs and wants. Those who work in user experience are excellent at this; however, most people can create a user persona that can accomplish the basics of understanding their users if they have the time.

Cartoon with man standing near phone with credit card inside it

Who/What is Indirectly Affected by This?

After going over the primary users for a project, the team should go over who or what may be indirectly affected by the project.  Secondary users may include a different group of customers than directly advertised for, business partners, a business in a different field, a sister company/group, or the team themselves. Keeping these secondary users in mind will help the team accommodate them in their design process and the project’s design itself. People like things that are easy to use and will be more likely to pick them if they are easier than other, similar options.

What is the Timeframe/Deadline?

One of the most important of what questions to ask before starting a project is looking at the timeframe. Not all projects have a deadline, but all projects should have a timeframe and/or schedule for completion. Whether that timeframe is in hours, days, weeks, or months depends on the project and how many people are working on it. Regardless, the team should be able to estimate how much time each part of the project will take. Put those times together and you have a timeframe. Add in when any shipping, receiving, or other moving of things that need to be done before those parts can start to create a schedule.

If a project has a deadline, create a timeline from the start and end of the project, and put the parts of the project that take the most time or are the most critical in the timeline first. Then, add the parts that take less time and/or are optional for completion before the deadline. Make sure everyone agrees that the schedule of the project’s parts is completable before the deadline before committing to the plan.

What is the Budget?

Money is rarely a fun topic to go over, but it is often a crucial one. A project’s budget should be established before starting the project. This part is unnecessary if the project is pro bono (for free). A budget should/may include:

  • Research and Development.
  • Physical parts.
  • Any new tools that are needed for the project.
  • Shipping.
  • Labor costs.
  • Employee salaries.
  • Overhead costs.
  • Installation costs.
  • Marketing.
  • Travel costs.
money exchanging hands image

Who Is Doing Which Parts of This?

Like any group activity, it is important to establish who is doing what at which time. In projects, who is responsible for which parts of the project will smooth over problems later and give expectations reducing the risk of surprises. Generally, people should work on parts that they are the best in the team at (even better if they like doing it), but sometimes people need to be assigned work based on time and budget. 

Do We Have Everything We Need to Complete This?

Last in what questions to ask before starting a project is making sure you have everything need to complete the project. While going over the scope of the project, make sure that each part of the project has all the equipment (hardware and software) and information that is needed to complete the part. If not, make sure that the ones working on that piece can get the equipment/info they need whether it be by contacting people, ordering supplies, buying and downloading software, or other methods.

Also, make sure that the legal side of things is taken care of: e.g. do we have legal access to the area or website, do we have legal right to use this graphic, do we have permission from the owner to use this equipment, etc.

Optional/Additional Questions to Ask

Where is This Project Going in the Future?

newton's cradle with ball suspended

If this project is part of a string of projects, it may be useful to consider what affects the next or other projects are having on this project in the future. For instance, is the project going to be replaced by another project in a year or so? Is the team going to finish the main part of the project now and either they or others are going to add on to it later? Does the finished product or result need maintenance? If the team feels like going the extra mile, they can make sure the project they are working on is easy to maintain and add on to make their and/or other people’s lives easier in the future.

What May Be Obstacles/Problems That May Arise?

While going over the project, think about what obstacles may make the project difficult and what may cause problems in the project’s process. These can be:

  • Materials not arriving on time.
  • Poor productivity.
  • Equipment malfunctions.
  • Communication breakdowns.
  • Low employee morale.
  • Bad project management.
  • Shortage of material.
  • Other things not working like they were expected.

Summary

Any kind of project a team (even if it is a team of one) undertakes should start with making sure that the team knows the critical information about the project. This is easiest done by having a list of questions that should have answers and making sure to ask questions if the answers are unknown before starting the project. What questions to ask before starting a project are:

  • What Does the Project Need to Do?
  • Who is Going to Directly Use This?
  • Who/What is Indirectly Affected by This?
  • What is the Timeframe/Deadline?
  • What is the Budget?
  • Do We Have Everything We Need to Complete This?
  • Who Is Doing Which Parts of This?

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